Chapter 112: Like Father, Unlike Son
Of course, Xu Qingsui wasn’t going to truly blame Chen Yunfei, so she simply nodded and didn’t ask any more questions.
But an intense gaze was fixed on her, making her ears burn. Following the gaze to its source, she met Lu Jingyu’s tender eyes.
[Congratulations, Host, on obtaining 80% trust, 80% dependence, and 80% affection from SSS level sentinel Lu Jingyu. Reward: Spiritual Power +20.]
As the Golden Octopus’s alert sounded, Xu Qingsui could see a red heart materialize on Lu Jingyu.
The red heart was already nearly full. Once it was completely filled with affection, her conquest of Lu Jingyu would be complete.
Chen Chang’an, being an experienced man, noticed the look in Lu Jingyu’s eyes. He discreetly tugged on Chen Yunfei’s sleeve, signaling for him to leave with him.
But Chen Yunfei was still basking in the joy of his awakening and thinking about how to properly thank Xu Qingsui, so he didn’t immediately understand his father’s hint.
"Xu—" Just as Chen Yunfei started to speak, a hand clamped over his mouth.
Chen Chang’an’s face darkened. ’I just don’t get it,’ he thought. ’Back in my day, I was so experienced with women you could have called me a master of love. How did I end up with a son who has absolutely no tact?’
It was too awkward to explain, so he kept his hand over Chen Yunfei’s mouth and dragged him right out of the room, leaving the space to Xu Qingsui and Lu Jingyu.
The two of them, however, were completely oblivious to the fact that they were now alone in the room.
Lu Jingyu only had eyes for Xu Qingsui, staring so intensely that her ears started to burn. Finally, Xu Qingsui had to break the silence and get his attention.
"Is there something on my face?" she asked, patting her cheek. That finally broke Lu Jingyu’s intense stare.
"No. Thank you for waking Yun Fei up. You weren’t injured in his Spiritual World, were you?"
Lu Jingyu showed a rare hint of awkwardness. After speaking, he pulled Xu Qingsui closer and began examining her from head to toe.
"Don’t worry, I’m fine!"
Lu Jingyu looked her over and, seeing for himself that there were no problems, finally turned his gaze back to her face.
Gazing at Xu Qingsui, he found his own feelings becoming clearer than ever. A sudden tremor ran through his heart, and he felt an overwhelming urge to confess.
But he just opened and closed his mouth. It was the first time he had ever faced a situation like this, and he had no idea what to say. He looked at Xu Qingsui, hesitating, his throat too dry and tight to make a sound.
Lu Jingyu’s strange behavior gave Xu Qingsui a pretty good idea of what was happening, and she suddenly found herself growing a little nervous as well.
The two of them stood there, eyes locked, caught in a deeply awkward atmosphere.
Outside the room, Chen Chang’an was still brooding over his son’s cluelessness when it came to romance.
But as he looked at his son’s face, the events of the past three years began to flash through his mind.
He thought of how he had weathered endless cycles of hope and disappointment, and now, with his son finally awake, his eyes instantly welled with tears.
He gazed at Chen Yunfei, his eyes filled with both heartache and excitement, and slowly raised a hand to caress his son’s cheek.
Seeing Chen Chang’an’s expression, Chen Yunfei felt a pang of sorrow in his own heart.
He could only imagine what his father must have endured over the past three years.
His heart ached, but he knew this wasn’t the time to wallow in misery. There was something far more important to deal with—something that had plagued him for three long years.
"Dad, I was set up!"
Those few words instantly made Chen Chang’an’s expression turn cold. "Yun Fei, what do you mean? Who tried to harm you?"
The past three years had left Chen Chang’an with a certain paranoia. Upon hearing that someone had truly tried to harm his son, he couldn’t help but glance instinctively toward the room.
"Dad, for the three years I was trapped in my own Spiritual World, I never stopped searching for the person who tried to harm me."
"At first, I thought that person had trapped me in there. But then Guide Xu appeared. She told me I had sealed myself away in my Spiritual World because my own self-preservation mechanism had kicked in. And she even helped me find the one who was behind it all."
Hearing that they had already identified who had harmed his son, Chen Chang’an grew even more agitated.
"Who was it? I’ll get revenge for you! I’ll make them wish they had never been born!"
"We discovered that on the day of the incident, someone deliberately lured that Mutant toward me. I didn’t recognize the person, but they must have been a new member who had just joined the Alliance..."
Chen Chang’an’s face fell, but he quickly regained his composure. As long as his son remembered what the person looked like, he had his ways of flushing them out.
"But Guide Xu told me she just saw that person... at Qiu Fang’s house."
Chen Chang’an’s pupils contracted, and he clenched his fists unconsciously. "Are you sure?"
Chen Yunfei nodded. "I trust Guide Xu. And if I see that person again, I’ll definitely recognize them."
Chen Chang’an took a deep breath, a dark shadow falling over his eyes.
’Qiu Fang... So your little schemes started a long time ago... I never intended to turn against you, but clearly, you thought otherwise!’
"Dad, Qiu Fang’s ambition was already huge back then. I hear he’s been stirring up a lot of trouble recently, too. It seems he still hasn’t learned to control himself."
Chen Chang’an didn’t answer immediately. After a moment of thought, he said, "I think I’m starting to understand what he’s been trying to achieve all these years."
"What for?" Chen Yunfei asked, looking at his father with an inquisitive expression.
"He..." Just as Chen Chang’an was about to speak, an alarm blared throughout Zone 9.
Father and son simultaneously looked in the direction of the alarm, their expressions grim, looking as if they were ready to charge out at a moment’s notice.
The sound of the alarm shattered the strange atmosphere in the room, and the pair immediately rushed out.
The four of them exchanged glances, and Lu Jingyu prepared to rush out.
"I’m going too!" Chen Yunfei declared, moving to follow. A look of appreciation crossed Chen Chang’an’s face. ’Now that’s my son.’
"Yun Fei, you’d better not show your face just yet," Xu Qingsui said, stopping him.
As the Chen father and son looked on in confusion, Xu Qingsui explained, "Don’t forget that someone tried to harm you. Right now, your attacker doesn’t know you’re awake. It’s best you don’t reveal yourself willingly. Some things are easier to investigate from the shadows."
Although Chen Chang’an already had his suspicions, he knew some matters still required a thorough investigation.
Xu Qingsui’s reasoning was sound, so he held Chen Yunfei back.
"Yun Fei, Guide Xu is right. It’s been three years; a little more time won’t make a difference. Let Jing Yu handle this for now. You’re awake now, so you’ll have plenty of chances in the future."
Chen Yunfei was reluctant, but he also knew what was at stake. He could only watch in disappointment as Lu Jingyu and Xu Qingsui left.
After the two of them had left, he couldn’t help but ask, "Dad, didn’t you say you already know what Qiu Fang is after? What is it? Since we already know, do I really need to hide the fact that I’m awake?"
Chen Yunfei stared at Chen Chang’an, waiting for an answer, hoping his father would change his mind and let him join the fight.